


The Stars Were Burning In The Lake

by unknowableroom_archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Drama, Marauders' Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-10-31
Updated: 2005-10-31
Packaged: 2019-01-19 02:22:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12401139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unknowableroom_archivist/pseuds/unknowableroom_archivist
Summary: When you're young, you think about life, and wonder. What is it all about? And, little by little, you come to understand everything is irreversible. It's about being with those people you never even liked. It's about crying at their funeral. This is the tale of their Hogwarts years. [L/OC; L/J; RL/OC (minor)]





	The Stars Were Burning In The Lake

**Author's Note:**

> Note from ChristyCorr, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Unknowable Room](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Unknowable_Room), a Harry Potter archive active from 2005-2016. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after May 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Unknowable Room collection profile](http://www.archiveofourown.org/collections/unknowableroom).

This chapter’s song is: “Semi-Charmed Life”� by Third Eye Blind

_The sky was gold, it was rose_  
I was taking sips of it through my nose   
And I wish I could get back there, someplace back there   
Smiling in the pictures you would take 

**1\. 1-2-3, Soleil!**

Remus Lupin murmured the incantation to the Boggart banishing spell, and though his _“Riddikulus”�_ was pronounced very softly, it filled his mouth, like a particularly delicious chunk of chocolate. It was the first day of classes at Hogwarts and Remus was spending his evening reading up in his Defense Against the Dark Arts book. He was starting the notoriously nightmarish Fifth year at Hogwarts, and thought that revising the basics was kind of a good start.

When he had quenched his thirst for Defensive magic, Remus closed his book and gazed around the Gryffindor Common Room. Peter Pettigrew was sitting nearby crouched upon a Quidditch magazine, but his head was lolling sleepily. The five girls in his year were sitting by the fire, some in the old squashy armchairs and some on the floor, and the voice of their quiet chatter carried to where he was sitting. Older students were scattered around the room; it was relatively silent and quite empty.

Remus’ meditations were interrupted by a loud bang coming from the portrait hole. Sure enough, his two friends, Sirius Black and James Potter, were coming into the Common Room. Laughing loudly, they strode over to where Remus and Peter--who was once again fully awake--were sitting; Sirius dragged a table close to them, making a horrible grinding noise, while James just sprawled on the nearest couch, and proceeded with telling them about Severus Snape’s latest misadventures. Lily Evans, the girl Prefect of their year, had turned around to have a clear look of the source of noise, and was now scowling sternly. Remus, ignoring both his new Badge and her attempts to catch his eye, laughed at James’ account of his and Sirius’ evening stroll. From the corner of his eye, though, he saw her get up and head towards them, and guessed her green eyes were ablaze. Lily, as it happened to be, wasn’t truly fond of Sirius’ and James’ conception of fun, and while Remus didn’t take his Badge too seriously, he knew the Gryffindor redhead was a little more uptight on rules and stuff. 

"Black," she said calmly as she reached the boys’ table, "it’s half past ten and the rest of us are quite tired, so would you mind making a little less noise?" Sirius grinned in such a devilish fashion that Lily shot Remus a warning look. He lowered his eyes, and there was a definite note of annoyance in her voice as she continued, "Or maybe you should go up to your dormitory and tell your little bedtime-stories up there…" 

"It’s okay, Evans," he said with a sweet smile, drumming his fingers on the table. "Remus is in charge--you just go sit with the girls." 

" _Go sit with the girls?_ Who do you think you are, Black?" Lily flared up at once.

"Oh, don't go acting all touchy on me, now. We know you're a model student, Evans--I'll be sure to mention it to McGonagall next time I see her," Sirius said lazily. 

"No, wait-" 

"Oh, sod off! We all know you're Perfect Prefect Lily, golden girl with the beautiful red hair and stunning green eyes and top grades. Go show off somewhere else!" 

Sirius accusing someone of being a show-off was probably a bit rich, Remus thought. Thus, as an immediate outcome, Lily flushed scarlet, much to James’s amusement, and Remus’s apprehension. Long-term effects included Peter attracting her wrath by trying to calm her down, her banging on their table furiously and all in all much shouting. Finally, Davey Gudgeon intervened and succeeded in dragging the fuming redhead to his table in the middle of the Common Room, where he had been sitting writing a letter and shooting occasional glances at his watch. 

"You shouldn’t lose your temper like that, Lily," Remus heard him say. "You’re a prefect. What would McGonagall say?" A long silence told him Davey was getting a Lily Death Glare. 

*** 

Penelope Parrain straightened the _Daily Prophet._

"Psychos still at large?" Remus asked conversationally, running his fingers along the edges of his new timetable. 

"The Death Eaters, they call themselves," spat Sirius. 

"Another mass attack," murmured Ida Bronicka, blue eyes half-closed. "When is it going to stop?" A heavy silence fell on their end of the Gryffindor table; nobody wanted to voice their thoughts. Who knew if the attacks would ever stop?

Chesna broke the silence. "When are we going to get our career consultations?" 

"Around March," Lily replied, absently picking at some food stuck in her hair. 

"Is, um, is anyone else considering becoming an Auror?" 

"Chesna, they only take the best," Clio pointed out, her eyebrows raised. "I mean, you grades are okay, but they really could be better." 

Chesna shrugged moodily. 

"Thank you, McGonagall. I just thought I’d try." 

" _I_ want to become an Auror," Sirius growled, dropping his cutlery rather noisily. 

"Oh, but you’ll make it, Sirius." 

"I’m… not sure." He sighed, glancing sideways at Peter. "I don’t know if I’ll have much time to study." 

Chesna rolled her eyes. 

"Since when do you need to study?" she sighed. 

"You’re right," he grinned. "I’m too brilliant for school." He caught Clio’s glare and his smile faltered. 

"Davey?" Lily turned towards him. "What do you want to do, later?" David Gudgeon gave them a cynical smile. 

"I’d love to be an Auror, Lily. It’s as Ceridwen’s said, they only take the best. If Chesna isn’t sure of making it, what chance will I stand?" 

"I wish you’d stop being so negative," Chesna scolded him. "As if you put any effort into your work; you know you could have brilliant grades if you tried." 

"You’re one to talk, really… What about Potions last year?" 

Chesna scowled and her neighbour didn’t press his point. When she looked up from her empty plate, she noticed Remus was gone, even though they were supposed to go to Arithmancy together. "Neat. Can't even wait for me."

"Good luck!" Penelope called out as a very disgruntled Chesna made her way out of the Great Hall. 

*** 

"And every time I raise my hand, he looks away," Chesna finished. "What, Remus?!" she snapped. 

"You’re always exaggerating," he said, Banishing his cushion into Davey’s backside. "It wasn’t that bad, frankly." 

"That’s because you’re content with just shutting your trap and watching Ravenclaws get House points!" She flicked her wand at the cushion that had just landed on her desk. "Watch your aim, Davey!" 

Remus rolled his eyes. "Chesna, you’re too competi-" 

"I know!" she snarled. "I’m too competitive, I take things too seriously and I can’t put things into perspective." Her cushion did a furious back-flip. "You know what my answer to that is." 

"Fine," he shrugged. 

"Miss Azbakiya," they heard Professor Flitwick call. "Cushions _into_ the box, please!" 

*** 

Lily patiently watched Sirius transfigure his cactus. As McGonagall praised him, she flicked her wand at hers, obtaining a bright green hedgehog. The Professor headed towards her. 

"It is your wand position, Miss Evans. Note how Mr. Black holds his wand." 

James snorted. Lily rolled her eyes, flushing a bit. When she had obtained a normally-coloured hedgehog, and McGonagall had strolled away from her, Sirius turned around in his chair. 

"Have you seen how I hold my _wand_ , Lily?" 

She turned away, exasperated. 

"MISTER GUDGEON! EXACTLY _WHAT_ HAVE I SAID LAST MAY CONCERNING POKING CLASSMATES WITH YOUR WAND?" 

Davey bowed his head, as though McGonagall’s wrath could just pass above it, and Chesna, whom he had been poking in the ribs, refrained from laughing. As she sank beneath her desk pretending to retrieve something from her bag, McGonagall eyed Potter and Black who were sniggering at the front row, before a crooked kind of smile appeared at her lips. 

"Mister Potter and Mister Black, please calm down," she said, not noticing the dirty looks both Chesna and Ida threw her. 

" _Please calm down_ for Black and Potter, but Davey loses Gryffindor 5 points!" 

They stalked out of class amid loud comments from the “Marauders”� blaming Davey for the points lost, the latter’s affected nonchalance and Chesna’s murdering glares directed at the boys. 

*** 

And then it was time to quiet down in the Common Room, as the light went out outside and the heat wore down. Remus sat between Ida and Lily and listened to their holiday accounts. They both had plainly delicious summers with their families and their eyes sparkled as they talked about their respective parents. 

He searched the Common Room with his eyes and couldn’t find anymore of his classmates. James, Peter and Sirius were out somewhere, probably nicking food from the kitchens, and Penelope and Clio had apparently gone to bed. Oh, here were Chesna and Davey, sitting in a corner laughing their heads off at a Muggle comic and, miraculously, as always, doing so ever so quietly; a hum of soft chatter actually filled the room, as the younger years were already in bed. Maybe he should follow their example. Remus took a glance at the next day’s schedule. Yes, better go to bed right away.

***

_And you hold me, and we're broken_  
Still it's all that I wanna do, just a little now   
Feel myself, head made of the ground   
I'm scared, I'm not coming down   
No, no   
And I won't run for my life   
She's got her jaws now, locked down in a smile   
But nothing is all right, all right 

 

A/N: Dedicated to my mentor Erin, of course!   
Next chapter should be up in two weeks or so. *sigh*   
I'll love you forever if you review with constructive criticism!   
♥   
~Alya~


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